Two men facing charges for the murder of a Canadian national born in Fiji will receive their sentencing today. Salimoni Lagicere and Edward Nand are being judged by Justice Siainiu Fa’alogo Bull for the death of Narend Chand, which occurred during a drinking session on February 19, 2003.
Chand was reportedly intending to meet a woman he had been communicating with on social media, though he was unaware that the woman’s profile was fake and managed by one of the accused. The two men allegedly arranged to meet Chand with the intention of robbing him upon his arrival in Fiji.
After arriving, they reportedly accompanied him under the guise of introducing him to the woman he was in contact with. Chand’s body was later discovered floating in the Waimaro River near Waito Settlement in Tailevu.
During closing arguments on August 8, the lawyers for both defendants argued that Nand’s ex-girlfriend, Leba Ratabacaca, was involved in disposing of Chand’s unconscious or deceased body. Lagicere’s lawyer, Loqi Cati, contended that the prosecution had not established a reasonable doubt regarding Lagicere’s guilt and requested his acquittal. Nand’s lawyer, Sunil Gosai, maintained that the purported weapons— a steel rod and electrical cord— lacked evidence, such as blood traces, to support their involvement in the crime.
In response, state prosecutor Zenith Zunaid asserted that Ratabacaca was merely an eyewitness to the incident and not an accomplice, noting that she had fled from her “abusive” boyfriend rather than siding with Nand.